Couscous: A Pearl of a Dish

Well, after a few moderate-temperature weekends the summer is back in full swing and boy is it hot! I spent the weekend near the pool, but despite my best efforts, I found myself constantly looking for ways to cool off. This dish was the perfect combination of bright, fresh ingredients from the farmer's market! And the best thing? It only gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight).

A lot of people think of couscous as that grainy, gritty stuff, but there is a variety that is light and fluffy like a grain of rice. Israeli, or pearl, couscous is a small and round whole-grain food. It's soft and chewy and really a blank canvas, as it doesn't have a strong flavor on its own. You can be creative with the liquids you cook it in for a really personalized flavor, and it can be served warm like a pasta or chilled like in this week's recipe.

However you cook it, you'll be pleasantly surprised, I know I was. Set a little aside for the kids and serve it plain, or be adventurous and add spices and veggies to suit your palate. Either way, it's a pearl of a dish!

Ingredients

For salad:

1 c Israeli or "pearl" couscous1 c vegetable broth

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c water

1 TBS olive oil

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cucumber, finely chopped

5 sweet baby bell peppers, diced (or 1/2 of one large)

For dressing:

zest & juice of one small lemon

1 TBS each of olive oil and red wine vinegar

a few pinches oregano (fresh or dried)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Add broth and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add couscous and salt, cover, reduce heat and cook until done - about 10 minutes